Mario Kart

Moo Moo Meadows in action. (Image from IGN.com)

So you know when you are playing Mario Kart and there are banana peels, bombs, and colorful boxes scattered everywhere with a dozen crazy drivers plus COWS crossing the road all Moo Moo Meadows style?

That's basically what driving is like here and in most developing countries. You've gotta be on your game or you'll end up in a pothole or stuck between 15 motorcyclists or possibly squished by a giant piranha plant.

A little while ago the four-lane "highway" near my house underwent some construction and turned into a five-lane highway. You would think that one more lane = more space for cars = less crazy driving, BUT no one painted lines on this lovely stretch of road. Therefore, every time I approached that street I would get that horrible feeling like when I'm playing Mario Kart, zooming down Moonview Highway, and I think that every move I make might be my last. Where is the line? Where am I supposed to be? Which side of the road am I really on? Will I get squished by that semi that wont stop blaring his horn?

Ladies and gentlemen, they painted the lines last week. Let me tell you, lines make a difference. I feel good. I know where I'm going. I know what side of the road I'm on. I have included a picture for your viewing enjoyment. And yes, lines being painted on the road was indeed the most note-worthy news of the week.

Book Tasting

Grab your fork and knife. It's time for a fine dining experience, and books are on the menu.

Thanks to multiple blogs and magazine articles that I have read lately, I was inspired to try a new idea in the library: Book Tasting.

The goal is to put books into students' hands that they might never pick up on their own. It is a way to show off some books in the library collection that you know students will love if they would only take them off the shelves.

To create the desired experience, I did a little table decorating, created menus, put together a classical music playlist, stole some fake flowers from my home, and hired a waiter (aka my enthusiastic assistant, Tom).

As students "tasted" their book appetizers, main dishes, and desserts, they filled out menus to help them process their thoughts and have a take-home reminder of what books they might like to check out in the future.

Afterwards, I looked through the menus to see what the students thought of the books they tasted. My favorite responses were when opinions changed as students took the time to look through a particular book. 

Many books received positive reviews. Others will be put back on the shelf for another day.

All in all, I'll call the Book Tastings a success. Many new library books have been checked out and are finally getting their much deserved time off the library shelves and into the hands of curious students.